


ground control to major keith

by DairyFarmer



Series: coounnttryy boy i loovee youuu [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Keith (Voltron), Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Lance (Voltron), Omega Verse, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 23:57:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20266654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DairyFarmer/pseuds/DairyFarmer
Summary: "You know what you have that Keith doesn't?" Lance asked, voice earnest as Shiro sniffled."What?" He asked, voice still watery."A strong pull out game."At that Keith stopped, jaw falling open in offense as he turned around to face Lance who barely paid him any mind, hand still busy patting Shiro's arm who was looking up in bewilderment.XxXIn which Keith Kogane suffers the unfortunate fate of loving his family.





	ground control to major keith

Keith didn’t like going on vacation. He liked _ taking _vacations (especially when all the New Galra Government’s budding Consuls and Senators were getting mouthy and Kolivan wasn’t around to make them shut up about ‘fiscals’ and ‘royalties’).

Whenever that happened, he could just tap out and take a leave back to Earth while Krolia pounded them all back down to size (and also to avoid her so she couldn’t maybe, possibly pound _ him _down to size about his family).

Plus it’s not like any of his supervisors were going to actually bring up his increasingly frequent amount of holidays, especially following the birth of his first pup. 

But even on leaves, Keith didn’t like traveling- he’d done more than enough to fill a lifetime. So it was always nice to get off an interstellar highway and land in _ his _ backyard of _ his _ house. Keith still hasn’t gotten over the fact that he has a house, an actual house that’s _ his- _that he can kick anyone out of (except Mrs. McClain and Ryou, but Shiro and Lance were both on thin fucking ice).

Still, when Keith touched down in Varadero, narrowly missing the tomato plants Lance apparently planted in the few weeks he was gone- he felt nothing but the relief of arrival and elation at the prospect of seeing little chubby cheeked Ryou, who upon last seeing him through a communicator, was working ardently at walking unassisted. 

So when Keith burst in through the kitchen’s screen door, startling Shiro into dropping his mug and letting it shatter on the ground, well at least he had a reason. Shiro shot him a tearful look that Keith ignored, stepping over the mess as Shiro’s mechanical arm flew towards the hall closet for the broom (because apparently he couldn’t be fucked to walk the two feet to get it himself).

Cosmo, the ever dutiful babysitter, was half-asleep and reclined on the rug in front of a holoscreen as a freshly washed Ryou lay in a playpen, staring up in dazed amazement as a bunch of brightly costumed Olkarians bounced across the screen.

Keith was pretty sure the show wasn’t even meant for kids- it was just some weird segment from Bii-Boh-Bi’s talk show. The only reason anyone in the house put it on was because the alien was Lance’s friend, and also possibly his talent manager. 

Even Lance wasn’t sure about that last one.

Whatever the case, Keith still reached down and plucked Ryou into his arms, deftly catching a chubby fist that aimed for his chin. 

Ryou gurgled, spit dripping down onto his bib as he stared up at Keith with wide grey eyes. Keith felt a grin bloom across his face as Ryou burst out into a wide smile, showing off the little developing nubs of his teeth.

A mash of incomprehensible words followed as Ryou reached for his face, herculean strength allowing him to get a grip on a strand of Keith’s hair. 

Keith does his best not to wince as Ryou tugged on it with all of his baby muscles. Instead, tilting his head down, touching his forehead to the crown of Ryou’s head as he made little babble noises. 

While rubbing gently to saturate him in his scent, Keith managed to pick up the light smell of Lance, milk, and pureed berries. Ryou’s hands slapped at Keith’s cheek in what he probably thought was affection. 

“He missed you-” A voice began. “-Cried all night when he realized you were gone.” 

Keith’s gaze flickered up and watched as Shiro deftly maneuvered around the playpen, carefully avoiding a snoring Cosmo (they pay him a salary of a filet of salmon and half a jar of peanut butter a week and _ this _is the quality of guard dog they get? Keith is suing.)

“Where’s Lance?” Keith asked as Shiro’s arm began flying around the room, picking up stray bibs and burping blankets littered around.

Usually the former Red Paladin was the first to greet Keith at his landings, dressed to the nines and waving a white handkerchief like he was a war wife welcoming her husband home from battle. 

Which more or less was the truth. Only the war had been over for years and Keith was just a glorified lobbyist at this point- his job mainly being sitting in meetings and fighting tooth and nail for more money to go to his ‘Relief’ division. 

It hadn’t been his style in the beginning, preferring _ actual _ relief work over all the exhausting bureaucracy. But then Lance had joined up with him, leaving home to eliminate the straining long-distance between them. And so the meetings fell to him, but if there was one thing Keith had learned in all his years together with Lance- it was that the other boy would _ slit throats _to get his end.

He’d go nuclear, straight up ‘a plague on both your houses’ and shit. 

And so Keith could work in peace, knowing that if any of the other divisions tried taking a _ single GAC _out of his budget, Lance would destroy them worse than he did Keith’s dick when they reunited again.

“You know it’s actually funny you should say that-” Shiro began, his oddly pitched voice ripping Keith out of his reverie. “-You see, Lance was planning a sort of _ ‘Ryou’s First Vacation’ _ sorta thing- got us packed up and everything, and uh… well we were actually gunna head out... _ today _. I was gunna call!” He hastily added. “-But then Lance got in the shower and-”

“I’m here my love.” 

Keith would recognize that dramatic timbre anywhere. 

Keith turned slowly, his body following as Ryou made little drool noises into his hands. Lance was at the top of the stairs in breezy pants and a blue button up with almost all the buttons undone to show off his soft, tanned chest.

“Lance!” Keith greeted, smiling as Lance strode down the stairs, plucking a wide brimmed sun hat off the newel as he touched down at the bottom. 

Lance carefully adjusted it on top of what Keith could see was wet hair, he could smell his imported Puigian shampoo from the few feet between them.

Lance breathed in a gentle sigh, shooting Keith a loving smile that had his cheeks turning a hot rosy hue.

“Did my baby miss me?” He asked, taking quick strides forward to Keith. “Because I missed my baby.”

Keith felt a wide grin pull at his cheeks, his lips already puckering up and prepping for his ‘welcome home’ kiss.

“I did.” He breathed, opening the arm not holding Ryou, for a hug. “I missed you all _ so muc- _”

Lance completely ignored him, attention locked on Ryou.

“Did my baby miss me?” Lance repeated again, expression soft and doughy as Ryou made little gasping noises, his body squirming in Keith’s hands as he spotted Lance.

_ “Oh wet me see my wittle baaaby!” _Lance crooned, pursing his lips into a kiss in Ryou’s direction. 

Keith sighed and handed Ryou over without a fight, feeling a small resistant smile creep across his face as Lance let out a happy wistful sigh, his voice caught in a high, excited murmur of _ ‘my baby!!!’ _.

Lance hugged Ryou to his body like _ he’d _been the one gone for more than a week and a half and not Keith.

Keith leant closer to Shiro, voice in a low whisper as Lance began letting out loud _ ‘mwah!’ _ kisses on Ryou’s generous cheeks

“Ya know _ I _used to be ‘baby’.”

Shiro snorted, his hand covering his face as Ryou’s curious hands began reaching for Lance’s glittering barrette.

“I know Keith, you tell me all the time.”

Keith still lets out a long suffering sigh because Shiro doesn’t _ understand _ . A person goes half a decade being called baby- and then that title is ruthlessly given to someone who pees whenever Keith tries to change their diaper (Keith is certain Ryou is doing it on purpose because it _ never _happens when it’s Shiro or Lance).

_ But still- _

Ryou made a sudden loud grumble, squirming in Lance’s arms who relaxed his hold, turning him so he could sit in his arms like a swing and face Keith. Ryou’s chubby, soft arms stretched out, his mouth opening to let out little sounds of effort.

“Okay, okay tough guy.” Lance soothed, bending over slightly to allow Ryou’s socked feet to touch the carpet. Lance let both his arms hover on either side indecisively as Ryou tried balancing himself on pudgy little legs, Lance gripping both his little hands in his palms. “Oh you wanna go walkies?” Lance asked in an adoring voice- it was the exact same tone of voice Keith used when taking out Cosmo.

Ryou’s mouth is open slightly, like he’s in amazement of himself and has to drool on his fresh bib. His socked feet are doing the absolute most in taking steps forward. Lance has to catch him a few times because the weight of his head tilts his balance forward and Keith snickers slightly, kneeling down and holding his arms open as Ryou practically falls into his hands, making little breathy noises as he curls his face into the crook of Keith’s arm.

Keith feels a warmth fill his chest, even as he feels baby drool begin to smear on his uniform.

_ -But still _, He didn’t mind. Well, not really.

XxX

If Lance forgoing his ‘welcome home’ kiss wasn’t bad enough it was the fact that Keith’s entire family was going to go on vacation_ without him. _ (Not that Keith minded very much, he _ hated _going on vacations).

“We thought you’d still be on New Daibazaal.” Shiro said shrugging slightly but with the slightest red of shame coloring his cheeks (_ good _).

“And what have _ you _got to say for yourself?” Keith asked, turning to where Lance was using Cosmo as his personal porter to warp his suitcase and bags to Keith’s cruiser. 

Ryou blows a raspberry from where he’s strapped into a baby carrier on Lance’s chest and is, as far as Keith is aware, the only innocent party.

“I would’ve left you a note!” Lance exclaimed with the slightest hitch in tone which meant that he hadn’t thought of it until probably that very moment (the bitch).

Still Keith purses his lips in a way he knows Lance will interpret as disapproving. 

And he’s right because Lance’s shoulders curl in for a moment before he pouts and mumbles a ‘fiiine I’m ...sorry I guess...’ into Ryou’s hair.

“What about you, Shiro?” Keith asks, delicately taking his still-unpacked-bag-that-Keith-brought-with-him-because-he-thought-he-was-going-to-be-greeted-by-his-family out of Cosmos’s mouth to be carried _ back _ to the cruiser because there was no way he was letting Shiro or Lance fly it. Keith _ just _ got it insured with the Treasury Department and with two mates and a pup, he _ does not _ need his premiums going up (nevermind that Lance had the fattest paycheck out of all of them, somehow still milking the Voltron Show years later even though Keith was pretty sure _ Shiro _had been the most popular paladin of them all).

Shiro made a shrugging motion from the floor where he was strapping on his boots and trying to discreetly push back a bag of chips into his pockets.

Keith hated cleaning up crumbs from his cruiser.

“Mom said she’d tape my shows for me and the ATLAS crew knows that if there’s a problem and I’m not there then they are always welcome to take it to Mitch.”

“_ Ugh _.” 

Lance made a throaty noise from where he was trying to simultaneously lay down a blanket in the backseat for Cosmo and clip Ryou into his car seat. “I still can’t believe someone like _ Iverson _has the first name Mitch that’s like...way too hot for him.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him you said that.”

Keith threw his bag into the back where Cosmo immediately began chewing on the straps. Lance climbed in beside Ryou, probably to hold his little baby hand for when they entered the interstellar expressway, which wasn’t a bad idea, because the trade ships that took the expressway would rather see Keith and his family die than let him merge.

Shiro took shotgun because he liked criticizing Keith’s flying with little passive aggressive statements that Keith is certain only came about because he’d made a vague comment about Shiro’s eyesight. And he’d been right, the bitch needed glasses, he just refused to wear them because he was scared the rest of the house would start calling him four-eyes or something (they would, but Keith still couldn’t believe Shiro would be so blatant in his distrust).

Keith moved the steering staffs into position and, in a system check, accidentally ran down one of Lance’s tomato plants.

Lance made a gasping sound from the back and Shiro made a sharp intake of breath through clenched teeth (something Keith, personally, found to be quite unnecessary).

“You might wanna be careful next time backing out of this spot.” Shiro added. “Could make a mistake if you’re not experienced.”

Keith shot him a side eye before wordlessly reaching his hand into Shiro’s open pocket and plucking out the bag of chips peeking out at him.

“Wai- don’t!”

Keith watched as the bag softly landed beside the toolshed and sealed the doors before Shiro could think of unbuckling and going after them.

The ride was silent up until they reach the first wormhole checkpoint.

XxX

Keith had no issues with his family deciding that Ryou’s first vacation should be to New Altea. He liked the planet, and he liked the people. The fact that there was life size replicas of the Lions scattered through the planet like a scavenger hunt only added to the appeal.

However, he _ did _ take issue with the fact that New Altea was practically a 20 minute shuttle ride away from New Daibazaal’s government capital _ and _the fact that it was a popular destination for lunch breaks. 

If anyone caught him playing hooky he’d have his ass mounted on Kolivan’s wall before he could use his newly born status as a family man to get out of punishment.

But if push came to shove he was sure that Lance could put in a good word to save his mate’s life. Kolivan always did have a soft spot for the blue eyed boy.

“My boy!” 

Keith’s gaze flickered up just in time to catch the sight of Coran enveloping an equally as eager Lance into a hug. Ryou was watching with wide, unblinking eyes from Shiro’s hands beside them.

“Oh, how Allura and I have missed you all!” Coran cried, a slight sniffle sounding from where he was likely blowing his nose into Lance’s shoulder. “It feels as though it was just a tic ago that I last saw you!”

“Uh you did?” Keith offered. “I mean like...I bought food from a vender with you like yesterday.”

He did. If Keith took a few steps to the right he’d be directly in the line of sight for where ‘alien-horseradish-taco-guy’ set up everyday.

Coran ignored him. 

Because apparently not only would Keith get neglected by his mate today, he would also get neglected by the guy he took advantage of occasionally to buy him lunch when he forgot his wallet.

“Is this the little pup?” Coran asked gleefully, new tears filling his eyes as he spotted Ryou chilling in Shiro’s arms. 

Lance’s chest immediately puffed up in pride.

“Sure is! Made him myself!”

Shiro coughed.

Lance ignored him.

Keith hid a smile behind his hand as Cosmo nudged at his legs.

Coran leaned down and immediately began talking in a low tone, his face pressed close to a bewildered Ryou.

“Well hello there, number six! Young Lance has taught me all there is to know about human children and rest assured that you are in the capable hands of-”

Ryou reached a baby fist up and latched onto Coran’s mustache. 

Coran immediately teared up again.

XxX

Keith and Cosmo ended up being the ones to carry everyone’s bags to their room.

Which was easy considering the new Altean Castle being constructed was basically a direct replica of the Castle of Lions and Keith had the memory of an elephant.

Which is, coincidentally, also the reason why Keith stays in the room, sulking, while Shiro is off parading Ryou around and Lance is catching up with Allura and Coran. Why he would though, Keith didn’t know- it wasn’t as though they didn’t talk often.

Something Keith knew for a fact they did, because if not for their status as ‘Saviors of the Universe’ and that they were taking advantage of Allura’s ‘Royal Communication Channel’ then he knew their communication bill would be thousands of GAC higher than it usually was.

Was this what adulthood was? 

Keith sitting alone in his room with his dog and thinking about his bills. God no wonder all the Senior Officers at the Garrison were such dicks when he was a cadet.

“Oh Keithhhh!!!” 

Keith’s gaze flickered up in time to catch Lance striding into the room, his hands holding his discarded sunhat and staring at him with bright, crystal eyes. 

“I miiissssseed you~” He sang, lips puckering up like he was expecting Keith to jump up like a trained circus clown.

Keith huffed, crossing his arms.

“Oh, so _ now _you notice.” He griped, turning his nose up.

Lance tilted his head in question an inquisitive sound filling the room.

“Whaddya mean? Of course I noticed you were gone!”

Keith sniffed, breathing deeply through his nose, still not turning.

“Keeeeiiitth~” Lance coos, shifting close to Keith’s right as Keith turns his face away. “Oh Keeiiitthhh~” Lance moves to follow and reach Keith’s face.

A pair of soft lips touch to the arch of Keith’s cheek, pressing with an eagerness that Keith can’t help but crumble a bit. The moment his shoulders relaxed, Lance was on him, wrapping his arms around Keith’s shoulder like snake coiling around a trapped mouse and Keith was the mouse.

_ “I misshed dyou!” _ Lance mumbled, words muffled into Keith’s cheek.

Keith stood strong for about five seconds before giving in and settling his hands on Lance’s softened waist.

“I missed you more.” He breathed, breath hitting the curve of Lance’s neck. Lance wiggled beside him like Ryou did when he was trying to roll onto his stomach.

Lance peppered soft kisses all down Keith’s cheek before settling against his mouth, pressing wet plush lips against Keith’s equally as eager and deprived ones. Lance’s lips tasted vaguely of baby shampoo and while part of Keith knew it was probably from all the scenting he’d done to their pup it was also equally as likely that Lance had been eating things he wasn’t supposed to because he was an _ idiot- _

Lance made a loud, wet smacking sound that had Cosmo lifitng his head up from the bed.

-But he was _ Keith’s _idiot.

A single finger began stroking at Keith’s cheek, urging him to pull away and meet Lance’s half lidded gaze.

“Ya know Shiro is giving Ryou a tour of the Castle.” He whispered lowly, lips close enough to brush Keith’s with each word. “And Coran’s in the kitchen, setting up the menu for dinner.”

Keith nodded slowly at each bit of information, still not quite sure in Lance’s purpose for sharing them.

Slwoly, Lance rose up, crawling closer to push Keith slowly onto his back. 

Keith’s brain got it in half a second.

“We have the room to ourselves.” Lance murmured, moving to straddle Keith, his shirt falling off one shoulder because it was loose as shit and_ god Keith loved it when he dressed like that it always made him so horny- _

Cosmo made a whining sound from the foot of the bed and Keith managed to peek over Lance’s shoulder to spot the disapproving gaze of his dog staring at both of them without any shame.

_ ‘Don’t judge me.’ _Keith mouthed just as Lance made a slight whistle to catch Cosmo’s attention.

“Cosmo, go find Ryou! Go find Shiro! They have treats!”

Cosmo was gone before Keith even finished blinking.

“That was cruel.” Keith pointed out as Lance let his shirt fall off the other shoulder and then suddenly giving his dog false promises of treats to get out of the room didn’t seem so cruel anymore-

“I’ll make it up to him.” Lance shrugged, palms resting on Keith’s chest to balance himself as Keith’s hands stroked idly at his waist.

“So what’s it gunna be, baby?” Lance asked, grinning face looming over Keith’s.

There it was- Keith was back to being the OG ‘baby’ and all was right with the world.

“A handy?” Lance asked, pecking Keith’s lips. 

“A blowie?” A kiss to his jaw.

“A quickie?” A trail of lips down Keith’s throat.

“Take your picky.”

Keith took his bottom lip between his teeth, biting done as Lance rocked against him, his breezy pants beginning to slip off him like butter on a hot plate.

“H-How much time do we have?” He managed to croak out as Lance pressed against him, one of his fingers twirling a strand of Keith’s hair as he breathed hotly against his ear.

“Long enough to do _ whatever the fuck you want _, babe.” Lance sighed affectionately, his hips gyrating against Keith’s.

Keith swallowed and counted to ten.

Then did _ whatever the fuck he wanted. _

XxX

At dinner Keith knows that Shiro knows that he knows that he can tell what they were getting up to given how Lance has buttoned his shirt up and was having nunville with his dinner.

Ryou was in a fancy, floating Altean high chair and getting fawned over by Allura and her staff.

“Human infants are much larger than I was expecting!” Allura exclaimed, attempting to gain Ryou’s favor by trying to help him lift his bottle. He heartlessly bats her hand away and Lance makes a little clicking sound that has Ryou turning to putty when he holds the bottle for him.

“Well he’s a few movements old now Allura.” Shiro offered. “We had to wait before bringing him through wormhole to visit.”

Allura makes an _ ‘aahh’ _of understanding before going back to touching and parting little Ryou’s hair with wide eyes of inquisitive interest, not at all discouraged by the earlier rejection. 

“Has he learned to speak yet?” She asked, blue eyes flickering up to bounce between the three of them. 

Lance laid a fond look on Ryou as he wrapped a fist around his pinky.

“Not yet.” Keith shrugged, using his fork to twirl around a pile of inky black noodles. “He should soon though if all the books I read were right.”

And they _ should _ be because Keith spent hours reading and re-reading all his child development books. He’d practiced swaddling on a doll before moving on to practise on Cosmo who, unlike Keith’s niece and nephew, actually _ held still _ . (Both Nadia and Sylvio _ loved _ griping about how they were too old to be babied by Keith and how it was ‘embarrassing’ but they always run to Keith to hide whenever they got into trouble and wanted to avoid punishment _ so who was the adult now- _)

“-can he recognize his name?” Allura’s voice piped up.

“Yeah.” Lance nodded as he gently pulled the bottle away from Ryou who immediately began reaching for it with wide-eyed desperation.

“And it’s a miracle too.” Shiro snorted from across the table. “I can’t imagine the confusion he must’ve felt getting called ‘Ryou’ by Lance and I but ‘Akira’ by Keith for a solid two months.”

Keith immediately felt his brows crease and his lips curl down.

He knows Shiro cheated somehow-_ he knows it _\- he just can’t prove it.

“Yeah, Keith!” Lance chided. “What if poor Ryou never figured out his name?”

“He would’ve figured it out eventually.” Keith muttered, spooning purple goo into his mouth until it was too gummy to talk.

Lance smiled and shook his head in a way that perfectly mirrored Keith whenever he was affectionately-exasperated by him.

“Okay, okay- since you’re still butthurt about it- you can name the next baby.”

At that Keith immediately chokes, goo filling his windpipe and cutting off his air supply.

Distantly, he can hear Allura exclaim in joy, the sound of her clapping filling Keith’s ear as he gripped the table and began attempting to self-heimlich maneuver himself.

Across the table he can vaguely make out the sound of Shiro coughing and punching his own chest in an attempt to clear his own airways of whatever he’d been drinking at Lance’s announcement.

When Keith comes back to himself- Lance is fine (because he’s a dick), Ryou is still desperately trying to drink milk out of his empty bottle, and Allura is muttering under her breath about her own suggestion for name-_ oh hell no. _

“Nope, no, no, no, _ no- _ ” Keith burst, pointing his spoon at a bewildered Allura. “Lance said the second kid’s name was mine, _ he said _\- back off!”

Allura frowned slightly, her browsed creased slightly.

“But Keith- there are plenty of strong Altean names! I’m certain that if you listened to my suggestions-”

“Nope.”

“For example, if it were to be a girl like me,” Allura began pointing a finger to herself in unbridled excitement at the theoretical child, “Fala would be excellent! It’s the name of an Ancient Altean warrior who-”

“Nope.”

“What about Avok for a boy?” Romelle interjected, popping up suddenly from behind Allura’s chair. “In the colonies he was an early Altean settler who-”

“Romelle you stay out of this.” Keith hissed, shaking his spoon threateningly. The blonde Altean pursed her lips at Keith in consternation, disappearing again behind Allura’s chair with barely muffled grumbles.

Allura was similarly pouting somehow stuck between the indecision of crossing her arms or cooing over Ryou who was shaking his empty bottle in dismay and unvoiced demand for more.

“Calm down, Keith!” Lance soothed, laying a soft hand over Keith’s fist. “No one’s gunna take it from you, I promise.”

“But what if...what if_ I _think of a really good name?” Shiro asks from across the table. 

Keith’s rage is reignited like the torch at the Olympics.

The fire is immediately extinguished when Shiro just barely misses getting hit by an empty baby bottle, followed immediately by the sound of Ryou’s wails and Lance lifting him up out of his highchair.

“_ Oh, I know _, I know my little star-”

XxX

Keith carried Ryou back to the room as Lance and Shiro walked behind him because- thanks to all of Keith’s practicing, he’s basically a walking, talking baby pacifier.

Lance thought it was unfair and Shiro thought it was witchcraft.

Still, Ryou’s face was nestled in the crook of Keith’s neck, his little curls brushing against Keith’s chin with every smug step.

Lance was fussing about Shiro and half-consoling the devastated sire.

“It’s okay Shiro,” Lance soothed. “So Ryou threw a bottle at you, don’t you think he’ll do worse when he’s a teen and trying to deny he secretly loves us?”

“But what does he have that I don’t?” Shiro asked, voice cracking slightly.

Well, several advice blogs and a hefty fine on his library card to start probably.

“You have plenty of good points, Shiro!” Lance comforted. “So Keith can get Ryou to stop crying just by holding him! Big whoop!”

Actually it was a_ ‘big whoop’. _

“You know what you have that Keith doesn’t?” Lance asked, voice earnest as Shiro sniffled.

“What?” He asked, voice still watery.

“A strong pull out game.”

At that Keith stopped, jaw falling open in offense as he turned around to face Lance who barely paid him any mind, hand still busy patting Shiro’s arm who was looking up in bewilderment.

“Wait.” Shiro began, “but I don’t have-”

“Well based on your porn history you do.”

Shiro’s cheeks immediately flooded red, sadness immediately forgotten in the wake of newfound embarrassment.

“Wha- buh, why-”

“It’s easier to just watch whatever you picked than look for something myself. Besides, you got good taste.”

Keith held back a scoff, turning on his heel to keep walking in the direction of their room.

“_ I _ have good taste too.” He muttered under his breath.

Lance made a vague humming sound as if to say ‘_ of course you do.’ _

XxX

The next day of his forced vacation finds Keith going on a date with Lance while Shiro parades Ryou around to try to forge a ‘stronger bond’.

“He’s so overdramatic.” Keith grumbled as Lance swung their joined hands between them. “You rubbed off too much on him.”

“Actually that was all Luis!” Lance grinned. “I’m innocent.”

“Yeah, for once.” Keith grumbled without any real irritation.

Lance beamed nonetheless, pressing a quick kiss to Keith’s cheek.

“How much longer are they going to be?” He couldn’t help but ask. Because apparently this was adulthood- worrying about your kids while you were away from your kids.

Lance smiled anyway, humoring him as he led them to a nearby bench where dozens of Alteans, Olkarians, Balmerans, and Galrans were passing by in the lunch rush of the day.

“They’ll be here soon and then we can all get those horseradish tacos you’ve been talking about.”

“They’re good.” Keith mumbled. 

Lance gently squeezed his hand, “I know they are, baby. Now stay here, I gotta take a leak.”

Almost immediately, Keith’s nose scrunched in distaste.

“Just say you need to go to the bathroom like a normal person-”

Lance laughed and left with responding because they’d been through this dozens of times, and they’d go through it a dozen more.

Keith slumped on the bench, resting his chin on his hands as he stared down at his feet. A minute of silence once Lance left followed, before it was suddenly broken.

“Keith?” 

Keith’s head snapped up in surprise.

Krolia was across the road, brows furrowed in confusion as she examined him with in inquisitive gaze.

“What are you doing out of the Capital?” She asked, starting forward, Marmoran Commander uniform glinting slightly in the sun. Keith scrambled to stand up, her height towering over him as she frowned, taking his casual clothes in with a considering air.

“Uh, I’m kinda...on vacation?” Keith offered.

Krolia’s furrowed brows deepened.

“Vacation?” She parroted. “You’re vacationing a shuttle away from where you work?”

See, the two of them may not have a ton in common but at least they thought alike.

“Yeah. Don’t tell Kolivan.” Keith added in as an afterthought.

Krolia shrugged, uniform jostling slightly as she stared at the seat beside him in silent question. Keith wordlessly acquiesced, taking his seat as she did the same.

“Are you here alone?” She asked, tone nonchalant even as she scanned the crowd like she was looking for prospective candidates. 

“Uh, no.” Keith started, eyes quickly darting in the direction he’d last seen Lance. “I’m here with Shiro, and Lance, and...and Ryou.”

Krolia’s shoulders tensed slightly before immediately relaxing. Keith wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been watching for her reaction out of the corner of his eye.

“So you’re here with your..._ pup _.” She trailed off, hesitating slightly on the world. Keith did his best not to react even though a swirl of discomfort twisted in his stomach. 

“Mmhm.” He hummed, staring resolutely ahead and hoping she wouldn’t try to prod at a dead argument.

It’s not that Krolia didn’t like Lance, at the very least she thought he was amusing. 

And she had a decent respect for Shiro. 

But it was _ Ryou _ that she took a pause at because Galra were- well, Keith learned that Galra were _ weird _about certain things.

Kids being one of those. There’d been a reason Zarkon hadn’t killed Lotor when he’d been a baby, despite having held a clear dislike of his half-Altean heritage. Because to Galra, one’s offspring were borderline _ sacred _ \- they took precedence over _ everything _.

It was the thing that had pushed Keith to finally be able to understand _ why _Krolia leaving the way she did was so monumental. And following the revelation the two had grown closer, formed a sort of understanding.

One that had rocked on its foundations when Keith had confided in her Ryou’s impending arrival. She’d been the first person on New Daibazaal to know, Keith hadn’t even told Kolivan. 

And to say she’d been happy and supportive would’ve been...well it’d have been a lie.

She’d been present when Keith’s medical screening for infertility had come back. She’d seen how devastated he’d been. 

Keith thought she would have been happy to learn that he would still be able to have a family.

But any excitement she might’ve felt was wiped away by the fact by one thing. 

That Ryou, _ genetically _, was Shiro’s.

They’d had one, _ only one _ argument about it. Then neither of them ever brought it up again.

Krolia hadn’t even acknowledged Ryou’s existence outside of a gift and card signed jointly with Kolivan a few weeks after he’d been born.

And Keith, in exchange, hadn’t offered to show her the plethora of baby photos he had stored on his communicator when he’d returned to New Daibazaal to arrange a set up similar to Lance where he’d be able to work from home.

Of all the worst people Keith could’ve possibly run into while vacationing on New Altea with his family, Krolia was definitely at the top (Lotor was a close second but Keith had heard from Acxa that Lotor mainly spent his days hiking up to the mountains near his cell to spend the day in meadows where the juniberries grew freely).

Krolia shifted beside Keith, her heavy clawed hands resting on her knees uneasily.

“Keith-” She began slowly, eyes locked on the market stalls across from them. “I..I-”

Krolia suddenly startled, eyes going wide as her eyes snapped down to her feet. 

The movement had been so sudden Keith couldn’t help his own eyes from following her gaze. 

Standing on trembling legs, staring up at Krolia with his mouth parted amazement- was Ryou.

“Look who I found on my way back from the bathroom!” 

Keith’s gaze immediately flickered to the direction of the noise. Lance’s smile was wide, teeth almost glinting in the sun but Keith could see the flash of hesitance shining in his eyes. His stare made a quick dart to where Krolia was seated, still frozen and staring down at Ryou, and Keith understood his worry.

Shiro was hunched over, a few feet behind Ryou, mechanical arm right at Ryou’s back and ready to catch him. Well that explained why Keith hadn’t seen his massive giraffe ass coming.

Ryou made a little gurgle, spit spilling out of his mouth and onto the lilac bib he had on. Keith was pretty sure that Ryou drooled enough for five babies. 

Ryou’s little arm stretched out, baby fist clenching and unclenching as his eyes locked on the bright pink of Krolia’s mane because Ryou, much like his dam, had a weird _ thing _about hair.

Krolia’s brows furrowed in uncertainty, her yellow eyes staring down at Ryou like she was struggling to comprehend his current presence. Ryou took a shaky step forward, one of his hands reaching out to hold onto Krolia’s knee for stability. 

If anything she tensed further, her mane fluffing up in clear distress and agitation.

Keith took that as his cue to bend down and pull Ryou into his arms. As soon as his eyes flickered to Keith, little baby sighs immediately began escaping him. His plump fists reaching to pat at Keith’s cheeks and tug on his hair.

Keith happily let him.

Settling him in the crook of his arm, Keith turned his eyes back to Krolia. Her eyes had followed Ryou, locked on him as latched onto a loose strand. 

Keith couldn’t even begin to guess at what she was thinking, her gaze not giving anything away as Ryou continued to squirm in Keith’s arms.

Slowly, almost as if she didn’t realize it, one of her hands came up. Her palm was cupped, claws carefully tucked in to avoid any accidental pricking. 

Keith watched her steadily with an unblinking gaze as she stroked the edge of her hand against Ryou’s plentiful cheek.

Attention momentarily taken, Ryou’s eyes switched to her. The small hand that had a deathgrip on a lock of Keith’s hair, left in favor of one of Krolia’s fingers.

At the touch, Krolia flinched, like she’d suddenly snapped back to attention. 

Keith tensed slightly, arms gripping Ryou a bit tighter in his arms, whispering a low apology as he let out a little sound.

A second ticked by, feeling like the longest second Keith had ever lived through. A single beat and-

Krolia’s lips curled up.

Keith froze, even as Lance and Shiro came up beside them, Lance laying a supporting hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Ryou formed a spit bubbled, letting it dribble onto Krolia’s hand as her eyes lit up with what looked like vague amusement.

“What large cheeks for soft a small face.” She murmured under her breath, finger idly poking it. 

Shiro let out a long suffering sigh and Lance’s free hand went to comfort him as well.

Hesitantly, Keith let his own smile slowly bloom across his face, pulling at his cheeks as he felt Lance let out a silent breath at his back. 

Keith slowly rose, Krolia following his movements as his eyes drifted up to meet hers.

Keith wasn’t good at these things- these heart to hearts. They always been more Lance’s speed, his strengths helping even Keith out.

But still, good or not- Keith still knew how to extend an olive branch.

“Wanna come get some horseradish tacos with us?”

Krolia’s smile was hesitant, eyes drifting between them like she was trying to determine whether she’d be welcome. Finally she nods, small and barely there, but a nod nonetheless.

Keith flocked over to the open space between Lance and Shiro both of them already beginning to walk in the direction of Keith’s favored lunch stall, Krolia at his back and close enough that Keith could feel the occasional rub of her suit against his jacket.

There was a lot to be said about going on vacation- the main thing being that Keith was _ not _a fan.

But this once,_ just this once _, he’d make an exception.

**Author's Note:**

> in which keith loves his family no matter how much they drive him and his blood pressure up the walls  
xxx
> 
> the next part should be the final part of this series. and itll just be smut, likely shance, with some klance smut flashbacks 
> 
> XxX  
come yell at me on [my tumblr](http://dairy-farmer.tumblr.com/)  
or check out[my twitter](https://twitter.com/letsgethismilk)  



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